22 August 2008
This breathing technique will help you.
Start with 1 minute and very gradually increase your timing each day.If you feel tired or dizzy or uncomfortable, stop and resume later or next day.
Once you can do it for more than 10 minutes, come back to report your progress and I will suggest some more breathing techniques.
Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for 5 to 30 minutes twice a day.(Max 60 min/day) Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.
I am nebolizing Albuterol and using the vest system. I only started this about 1-1/2 weeks ago. I am not coughing up that much and believe that with the bronch being in the upper lobes, that I have dry bronchiectasis so I wonder about the value of the vest. The doctor ordered three sputum cultures in case one or two don't show anything, but whatever he ordered can take up to 8 weeks to grow so I don't know what they will find. I just started coughing up blood. It's not a great amount so I am not yet overly concerned, but I am watching it carefully.
I am having difficulty finding anybody who has the dry bronch to find out answers and experiences. Linda
I have bronchiectasis due to atypical CF....I too use the vest system but also nebulize medications that help thin my secretions. One is Hypertonic saline (HTS) 3%- docs also prescribe 7% as well sometimes. I also nebulized pulmozyme which breaks down the DNA of the mucous so that it is thinned even more. For my pseudomonas (did the docs ever culture your sputum? If not, have them do that so that you know what is growing in there. If it is pseudo, then there are meds that can be given to help decrease the colonies), I nebulize tobramycin on a 28 day on/28 day off schedule.
I would talk to the docs to see if any of these meds are an option for you. I hope this helps..Sunny